All You Need Is Love
by Dr. Holland
Summary: A funny thing happened to Jenny on the way to the train station at the end of "Easy J"… instead of heading straight to Grand Central, she stops for a burger in Brooklyn and runs into someone unexpected: Nate, confused by Juliet's web of lies, worried about his father, and wrestling with unresolved feelings for Serena. Another road to NJ, with CB, DS, E, V & more; AU after 4x06.
1. The Butterfly Effect

**ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE**

**Summary:** A funny thing happened to Jenny on the way to the train station at the end of "Easy J"… instead of heading straight to Grand Central, she stops for a burger and fries and runs into someone unexpected… Nate, confused by Juliet's web of lies, worried about his parents, and wrestling with unresolved feelings for Serena. Another road to N/J. Goes AU after 4x06.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in the Gossip Girl universe, not even (sadly) Chuck or Nate. Major props to Cecily von Ziegesar, the CW, the producers, actors, and crew, and everyone involved with bringing these amazing characters to life.

**Chapter 1 – The Butterfly Effect**

_**Jenny**_

"_We hear Little J gave Chuck and Blair a goodbye kiss… of death."_

Jenny Humphrey sank back into the cracked vinyl backseat of the cab Dan had called for her, watching the familiar lights of Upper East Side through the window. Soon, very soon, she'd be back in her room in Hudson, with nothing to worry about except art and design school applications, her sketchbook, and the fact that she was the undisputed Queen of Hudson High School.

But that fact gave Jenny little satisfaction. The local kids were just too… _easy. _There was no satisfaction in conquering some upstate It Girl's clique. Even Little J from Brooklyn could have done that easily.

Honestly, she'd expected to face at least _some _hostility up there. After all, many of these kids had gone to school together since kindergarten. But no other girl had wintered in Aspen, summered in the Hamptons, and owned the newest Hermes bag. Jenny swept into school on her first day of senior year and had the girls eating out of her hand… and the boys falling at her feet.

…_just so amazing! She's met everyone, even Olivia Burke! They even say that her brother dated…_

…_.love her hair. I'm going to try for that shade of blonde…_

…_at the New York première of Fleur! She's dated some of the richest boys in the country! Her stepmom owns Bass Industries! And I heard that…_

…_if she'd give me tips on her eye makeup? She's so original..._

_...designs her own clothes, too! They say she had her own line sophomore year, and she's even worked for Eleanor Waldorf herself? Can you imagine?..._

It was a performance, Jenny reflected. _In order to be Queen, you have to be cool. _Unbidden, her former mentor and current nemesis' advice rang in her ears. And Jenny Humphrey was cool to the students at Hudson. Mean? No… she'd meangirled enough for a lifetime. Besides, it wasn't really necessary here, was it?

Queen was her natural position at her new school. It's not as if she had to work for it. She came, she saw, and the conquering was over before third period on the first day.

The real rush had come from becoming queen of Constance. She'd _earned _that. And then being paid respect as queen _of _queens even after she was years behind in the ballroom dance training, even after her best friend-turned-stepbrother-turned-_traitor_ _and _Blair _and _Kira tried to sabotage her…

_Jenny, really?_ _Was it really your quick thinking that saved you that time?_

_Or was it…_

Jenny pressed her eyelids together, shaking her head to herself. _No. I won't think about _him_. Not now. Not ever again._

She closed her eyes and reflected on the day she'd had in the city. It had been a day of ups and downs. When she received the call from Parsons, Jenny had been excited but suspicious. Yes, she'd worked for Eleanor and her guerilla fashion show had been talked about for like five minutes. But the design world had a short attention span… how on earth hadn't she suspected Bassian machinations? Had she been gone _that _long?

Of course, when Parsons first called and got her mother all excited about her chances, Jenny suspected Chuck and Blair immediately. She hadn't gone out of her way to check Gossip Girl, especially after the horrible events in the spring that culminated in her leaving. However, at first, she'd smelled a rat. Jenny closed her eyes, remembering the conversation that had brought her back to the city.

_Excuse me, but who did you say referred me to Mr. Gunn again?_

_Well, the note doesn't say, but this is just one of a number of interviews Tim has granted to the most talented seniors around the city. You know, I'd be willing to bet it was your art teacher at Constance. A fair number of her former students have been very successful at Parsons. I'm surprised she didn't give you a heads up._

_Perhaps she did, but I wouldn't have known. I… I'm no longer attending Constance. My… father recently remarried, and it was decided that I should go live with my mother._

Pause. _I'm sorry to hear that, Jenny. Linda was probably very sorry to lose you._

At least someone was, Jenny thought, pressing her face against the glass of the cab window and closing her eyes. Someone other than Dad, Lily, Dan, and Eric, that is. In the end, the very people she'd given the hardest time had been overjoyed that she'd come home... even Lily, who wouldn't let her go for a while when they came to greet her at Grand Central.

"Lily, I'm so glad to see you!" she'd told her stepmother, genuinely meaning it.

The wealthy heiress smelled of expensive perfume, a new fragrance Jenny didn't recognize. "Not nearly as glad as I am to see you. You've been missed, you know."

Rufus kissed the top of his daughter's head. "Your mother tells me you're doing very well at your new school. Still, New York doesn't feel the same without you."

"It sure doesn't," Dan assured her, who'd met them all at the train station for the happy occasion. "Once you knock this Parsons interview out of the ballpark, you'll be back in the city. Of course, Brooklyn's much closer to Lower Manhattan than the Upper East Side…"

"In whose universe?" Eric had said, walking side by side with his stepsister and best friend. "Her old bedroom is waiting for her. Or maybe she and I will find a place of our own and be roommates!"

It had been wonderful to walk back into her old room, she reflected. Lily even had asked for an extra clothing rack so that she could steam the dresses she'd brought up from Hudson…

_A perfect day, _Jenny thought. _If only Chuck and Blair would disappear…_

Squeezing her eyelids together again, Jenny felt all the triumph she'd felt from besting Chuck and Blair that evening dissipate. In its place was a hollow, horrible feeling she'd had at the center of her heart ever since that awful May night when she'd returned to the Empire after she'd sent Gossip Girl the picture of Dan and Serena sleeping together, and Blair had confronted her.

Over and over again, the same taunting voice rang in her mind.

_When are you gonna get it? For three years, you've tried to worm your way into our world, but you will never be a part of it no matter what you do! This isn't copycat dressing at Constance or dumping dairy on your best friend to prove a point. Nate and Serena? That's mythic. You don't mess with that and survive. You're hurting people I love. You're hurting people you love._

Unbidden, tears filled her eyes as she remembered that horrible day. Suddenly, she didn't feel like the girl who had beaten Chuck and Blair at their own game anymore. Zen Jenny was gone. She felt like…

_Nate loves Serena, Dan loves Vanessa… God knows why… and Chuck loves me. But, you, Jenny? No one loves you, except your daddy. And after what you pulled yesterday, who knows if that's even true anymore?_

As she blinked, her tears spilled over. Six months later, Jenny felt the same rush of hot, angry shame that she'd felt as she'd made her way back to Manhattan later that night. She'd thought Nate would be right back where he was, twenty-four hours before, drowning his Serena-shaped heartbreak in a bottle of Chuck's finest Scotch.

_Maybe I can't make Nate love me,_ she'd thought as she walked into the lobby of the Empire on that fateful evening. _Maybe he'll always love Serena. But I can make him at least take what Damien wanted so much… he didn't turn me away last night. And after what Serena pulled with Dan? Tonight, I'm going to make it count._

Well, Nate hadn't been there. No such luck. But Chuck Bass was there, drunk, upset that something happened between him and Blair. He'd actually invited her to drink with him.

And all Jenny wanted to do in that moment was to not feel so _empty _and worthless…

_Sleeping with Chuck was the worst decision of my life, _Jenny thought on that October night. _Five awful minutes of fumbling, discomfort, and reaching for something, wanting it all to _mean _something._

_But it meant _nothing _to either of us. There was no magic. Apparently it's not anything like they say in the songs or the movies. It wasn't like _Dirty Dancing. _All I felt in the end was… was…_

"Used."

It was her own voice, coming out in a whisper. She was ashamed when she heard the sound of it. Used? Who'd used her? Chuck Bass? Blair Waldorf? Or…

"Me. I used myself." Dry, croaking laugh. "I did this to myself."

"What was that, miss?"

Jenny looked up. The cab driver was peering at her through his rearview mirror.

"You're still headin' to Grand Central?"

Images flashed through Jenny's mind. Images of disgraced Constance blondes being put on trains and sent away (_the only thing that needs to get back to normal is _you!).

"No!" The force, the vehemence of her own voice stunned her. "No. Take me to Brooklyn."

_Wait. Don't you have school Monday? _

_Didn't Blair banish you?_

_Won't your parents kill you?_

_And aren't you trying to avoid… him?_

Jenny shrugged off her own thoughts. It was only Saturday. One night in the loft wouldn't make that big of a difference. Dan would be glad to see her! Vanessa had left and gone back to Vermont (why, Dan wouldn't say), and he wasn't seeing anyone, so she wouldn't be imposing. She could go to Rufus and Lily's for one last big family Sunday brunch, just before catching a midday train back to Hudson.

She would call her mom en route. But why not give Dan a heads-up about her idea?

_Change of plans. Going to spend one last night at the loft. Is that OK?_

She only had a few seconds to wait before her brother responded. _More than OK. Eric's coming over too – wants a Scrabble rematch. _A few seconds passed. _Says he's kicking your ass._

_I'd like to see him try. You guys want the usual from Jimmy's?_

_Yep. Love you – proud of you - catch you at the loft._

"Brooklyn," she said quietly to herself as she put away her phone, "I'm coming home."

_**Nate**_

Nate Archibald had no intentions of leaving the Empire when he first got back to the penthouse. But when Juliet couldn't give him direct answers about where she'd been and what she'd been doing at the prison that morning, Nate didn't like it, but decided not to pry. Yet.

_I have a history of believing girls when I shouldn't…_

The first blast had come when he was on his way back from checking on his father in the prison hospital. When it came, Nate had to read the words several times over… because he wasn't comprehending a _single thing_ that it said.

_Looks like New York's best kept secret is finally out! Turns out Little J didn't lose her v-card to Damien Dalgaard. She waited… and chucked it away with her stepbrother. Guess that explains the Humphrey in Hudson! Hell hath no fury like a Waldorf scorned…_

Nate read the blast over and over again. It just didn't make any sense, even though he hadn't had any contact with Jenny since the last time he saw her. After Jenny sent the picture of Dan and Serena to Gossip Girl, he didn't really want much to do with her. He'd heard that she'd gone upstate to live with her mother, and at first, Nate thought that it was perhaps the best for everyone concerned.

Then, as the summer wore on, and he got to the end of Chuck's little black book, he'd thought vaguely once or twice that it might have been nice if Jenny had bothered to say good-bye. They'd spent a lot of time together that spring, and she was cool to hang out with. Even if she wasn't the girl he thought she was, she had been a good friend.

He read the blast one more time. Then he understood _exactly_ what Gossip Girl was insinuating.

At first, he refused to believe it. Ridiculous! She wouldn't have_. _She _couldn't _have! It made no sense. He knew that Chuck and Blair had argued after Blair was late for their meeting at the Empire State. Heartbroken, Chuck had gone to Prague, he'd been shot but no one knew… _why _had he gone overseas so quickly in the first place.

Chuck… and _Jenny? _It couldn't be true!

Could it?

No. Jenny would _never… _and especially not with…

Would she?

_Had _she?

Nate just didn't want to believe it. Chuck was a changed man. Blair had transformed his best friend, and Chuck had never been the same again. Nate had come to terms with that at the end of senior year. Chuck was Blair's, and Blair was Chuck's. Chuck and Blair, Blair and Chuck…

Even if Chuck had done the most messed up thing Nate had ever heard of to Blair. Who the hell trades their girlfriend for some stupid hotel? To _Jack Bass? _He knew that his best friend had a low opinion of Nate's own mental abilities, but sometimes, Chuck could be so _dumb. _How could he have thought that was okay?

But… sleeping with _Jenny?_

He couldn't wrap his mind around it. And so, he shrugged, figured Gossip Girl was lying again, and started playing Angry Birds.

_That's why I don't send her any tips. She's awful. Telling lies about Jenny like that!_

The second blast came right before Juliet's pathetic excuse for a phone call. He felt like the world's biggest dupe. Crazy of him to think that maybe Juliet was just a regular girl who liked him, right?

Girls always had something to hide. They all had their _secrets_. _Secrets_ had ruined his relationship with Blair. _Secrets_ had ruined his relationship with Serena…

But what Nate was trying to put out of his mind was the biggest secret of all. A secret that had been revealed at the party tonight that he hadn't bothered to attend.

_We hear Little J gave Chuck and Blair a kiss… of death._

And the picture of Jenny facing off with Chuck and Blair told Nate everything he needed to know. He didn't even need to know what was said in the conversation. Dan's little sister was the final piece of the puzzle that explained exactly what went down between his best friend and his childhood sweetheart the spring before.

_Literally _went down.

Pouring himself another drink, Nate stared at the glass tumbler as he picked it up and put the decanter down. Standing there for a moment, he stared at the amber liquid.

_You're exactly like all the girls I've ever known._

He blinked, and the tumbler and decanter were no more. Shattered pieces of liquor-soaked broken glass littered the floor of the penthouse kitchen. Chuck was going to have a fit.

Nate didn't care. Suddenly, he was irrationally angry, and he didn't know why. So what if Chuck scored with Jenny? Chuck wasn't with Blair at the time, and Jenny was single. And Jenny had certainly been trying to get every boy on the Upper East Side to deflower her, including _him_. Damien was a creep. Nate had refused because he'd finally gotten Serena, the girl of his dreams. So Chuck…

_No wonder Dan punched him. If he weren't my best friend, I'd kill him._

The thought came with total, sudden clarity. Suddenly Nate remembered another time Chuck had sent him into a violent rage… a long time before, when the Basstard had deflowered another virgin Queen of Constance…

_Did you sleep with her, huh? You son of a bitch, I ought to kill you!_

_There's no us, Blair! Oh, but you're clearheaded now, right? Then you'll understand me perfectly when I say I want nothing else to do with you, Blair! You and Chuck deserve each other!_

_(You know Chuck would say anything! Twist the truth…)_

_But Jenny wouldn't._

That's what he said back then. And he'd truly believed it. But Jenny had. And she did… did _it, _that is.

With Chuck Bass.

Walking away from the broken glass on the kitchen floor, Nate grabbed his phone again and dialed the concierge.

"Yes, Mr. Archibald."

"I need a car."

"Of course. Right away, sir."

Maybe a drive would clear his head.

Fifteen minutes later, he'd pulled on a t-shirt with a hoodie and a pair of jeans, and made his way to valet. Soon, he was sliding into the car, and the door was closed behind him.

"Where to, sir?"

The answer flew out of his mouth before he could stop it. "Brooklyn."

It would be his third time across the bridge in a single day. But Nate knew he needed to go to the loft. There was one question in his mind: Why hadn't Dan told him about this? Of course, it would be awkward, because how are you supposed to ask your friend, "Hey, buddy, why didn't you tell me your sister swiped her v-card? Why did I have to hear this from Gossip Girl, and why didn't you let me help you kick Chuck's ass?"

Of course, Nate knew he had no right to ask. He didn't have any brothers or sisters himself, but he pretty much figured Dan would punch him in the face if he even suspected that…

Suspected what?

_You are not my father, and you are not my brother, so why do you care so much?_

He didn't know. Serena's unwillingness to commit to him and their relationship had broken his heart in the spring. That night, Juliet's sneakiness killed any hope he'd held for a quick recovery.

And now, Jenny had slept with Chuck. Of _all _people.

Maybe all girls _were_ the same.

_**Jenny **_

She loved Jimmy's. Like, _so_ much. It was literally the perfect diner. The place boasted the best chicken, waffles, and all-day egg breakfasts in Williamsburg. Located near the Bedford Gallery, she'd passed many evenings during her first two years at Constance enjoying their food. Sometimes with her family, other times with Eric or Vanessa, and a couple of memorable times during the fall of sophomore year with her dad, her brother, and…

The waitress recognized her immediately. "Hey, doll, long time no see!"

"Hey, Molly. I've been upstate."

"Oh yeah?" Molly cracked her gum. "Good to see ya. They treating you good up there? You look tired."

_It's been a long day. _"Yeah, you know how it is."

"Well, come on, put those suitcases behind the counter, and have a seat. Having the usual?"

"Yeah, but it's a carry out. My brother's having the special like he always does, and my best friend will take the turkey club, no bacon, condiments on the side."

"Fries with that?"

"Yep, a large order. He drinks Diet Coke."

"Great. You sit tight and I'll have you on your way in a sec, k? Let me give you a few fries for the road, too."

Jenny smiled and nodded, then walked toward the window. What was even better was that the diner had authentic 50's décor. As in, it hadn't been _touched _since then. (Or properly cleaned, Lily had said.) There was a jukebox in the corner by the window, and Jenny thought she'd play it while she waited for her food.

She flipped through the selections. Although her music tastes tended to be a little more hard rock than anything her dad ever played, she also loved the classics from the 1950s and 1960s. Sometimes, she dreamed of living back then, during a simpler time, going to sock hops, living in a very different city. A Brooklyn where parents didn't divorce and moms didn't move upstate…

Today, she knew exactly the song that she wanted to hear. Finding some loose change, she slid the amount into the slot and made her selection.

_Ooh wah, ooh wah  
Ooh wah, ooh wah  
Ooh wah, ooh wah  
Why do fools fall in love?_

Jenny looked up from the jukebox and saw that some of the diners had looked up. One of the old men sitting at a table near the back began tapping his foot. A young couple clasped hands. Molly served them two slices of pie, then looked up, and smiled at her.

_Why do birds sing so gay  
And lovers await the break of the day  
Why do they fall in love?  
Why does the rain fall from up above?  
Why do fools fall in love?  
Why do they fall in love?_

She took her phone out of her pocket to see if she had any messages. She didn't. That was another thing that was different about Hudson. Her new friends knew she was in the city for the day, assumed she was with her family, and wouldn't call or text unless something huge was happening…

It was Hudson. _Nothing_ happened there.

Well, maybe she'd check Gossip Girl. And see if there had been any blowback in the comments from her two blasts. As one of the site's trusted sources, like about a dozen others around the Upper East Side, Jenny's blasts were always posted directly to the site without her brother screening them.

Feeling a shadow of the thrill she'd experienced earlier while orchestrating Blair's humiliation, she began to scroll through the site. Soon she was so engrossed in catching up that she didn't hear the bells chime on the door.

_**Nate**_

He hadn't really eaten much that day. It was almost eleven, and too much had happened. It felt surreal that twenty-four hours before, he was making love with Juliet and thinking he'd finally found the right girl for him. This was certainly _not_ the day he'd planned.

What he needed was some great comfort food. Nate hadn't really known what comfort food was until he met Dan Humphrey. It was a huge novelty to him. Dan's family ate stuff like chili and spaghetti and tacos _every day, _the kind of stuff his mother and Blair sniffed about, the kind of food people ate on sitcoms and in the Disney channel movies he'd watched growing up. Nate was supposed to like being a rich kid, but maybe if his parents hadn't cared so much about money, his dad wouldn't be recovering in a prison hospital bed that night…

The Humphreys were like the families in the sitcoms and the movies, he always thought, at least a modern version since their mom was upstate. You had the bumbling, well-meaning dad. The awkward, sarcastic big brother. And the talented, wisecracking little sister. All they needed was a dog, and Nate would have been totally envious of Dan.

At least, that was the Humphrey family Nate met years before. Now, everything had changed. Rufus had married Lily and had moved to the Upper East Side. Dan was at NYU, and living in the loft by himself. And Jenny…

Anyway, he couldn't expect that Dan would have anything for him to eat… sure they could order out, or he could ask the driver to stop a few blocks away so he could get a slice.

Fortunately, there was a diner close to the Bedford Gallery they liked. Jimmy's Diner was a Brooklyn institution. It was one of the Humphreys' favorite go-to places for a quick dinner in Williamsburg, somewhere that Nate had gotten acquainted with during the few weeks he'd lived with the Humphreys, and visited whenever he wanted to take the long way home from visiting his father in prison. It was a bit out of the way for him, but they had amazing burgers and some of the _best _fried chicken in all of New York.

He sent Dan a quick text as his car pulled up to the restaurant. _Hey, I'm at Jimmy's. Want anything?_

"You can head back. I'll be alright from here," he told the driver, just before sliding out of the car, walking into the diner without looking up. He heard the chimes of the door ring as he walked in, and the sound of doo wop on the box.

_Love is a losing game  
Love can be a shame  
I know, I'm a fool you see  
For that fool is me…_

A familiar-looking waitress looked up from the counter. "Hey there, good-looking! You've been a stranger. Come sit down…. just coming from your visit with Dad?"

"Not this time," said Nate, glancing up long enough to slide onto a stool, and letting out a deep breath. "On my way to see an old friend."

"Yeah, all you kids are here, there, and everywhere these days. Nothing like young people back in my day! Take that one in the back, by the jukebox… moves to the Upper East Side, then goes upstate, and forgets all about me…"

She said it loud enough that the person she was referring to heard her. A willowy platinum blonde had her back to the counter. Half bent over the jukebox, you couldn't see her face… but her unnaturally bright hair and svelte figure made her stand out. Nate liked pretty girls of every shape, size, color, and background, but he was partial to blondes.

_Why does my heart_  
_Skip a crazy beat? _  
_For I know_  
_It will reach defeat_  
_Tell me why_  
_Tell me why_  
_Why do they fall in love?_

Nate admired the girl from afar. She reminded him of Serena, a little... Serena, who for some reason, he was never _enough _for. (Nate still couldn't come to terms with that.) Or maybe more like…

A buzz indicated that Dan had responded to his text. _Nah, we're good. Jen's got us. See you soon._

He frowned. _Jen's got us? _What, did she cook or something before she went back to Hudson?

"Can't even answer, can you doll?" Molly called out again, voice filled with mirth. "You know I'm right!"

When he looked back up, the girl looked up from the napkin she'd been doodling on, and turned around to grin at the waitress, ketchup-laden French fry in hand.

"Now, Molly, how could I forget about you? Impossible."

Then she looked up at who Molly had talked to…

And their eyes met for the first time since the spring. Blue upon blue.

_Why does the rain fall from up above? _  
_Why do fools fall in love? _  
_Why do they fall in love?_

_**Jenny**_

When she saw him, the laughter faded from her lips. Suddenly, Molly's jokes weren't so funny anymore.

In the part of her mind that she usually did her best to ignore, Jenny Humphrey had imagined a thousand scenarios for her first meeting with Nate Archibald after she'd been kicked out of her hometown by general consensus. But never had she expected to run into him at her favorite diner, at eleven o' clock at night, with her makeup scrubbed off and sporting an old, slightly too-tight black cashmere sweater she'd purchased with her allowance when she was thirteen, skintight red leather pants, and laceless vintage Converse without socks.

_He's still gorgeous. Damn. _She'd tried to tell herself over the summer that Nate wasn't that cute, taking some of the sting of his rejection away. There were guys that were sexier… and hey, wasn't he _too _pretty? That wasn't good for a guy, was it?

But sitting on that stool at Jimmy's counter, her fluttering heart told the real story. _You're a lying liar, Jennifer, telling yourself lies. It's always been him for you, no matter how hard you've tried to get over him.  
_

She expected Nate to be either angry or (worse) indifferent. Angry because he always held her up as some shining example of virtue and innocence that the girls from his social class should follow. Indifferent because… well, she'd slept with his best friend, and ruined Chuck's relationship with Blair. She was sure she'd fallen off the pedestal he'd had her on, and was now in the Stupid Whore category.

Jenny tried to figure out why she'd fallen so hard for a guy who clearly didn't like her as much as she liked him. By the time she realized that she wanted him junior year, she had an answer. Sure, he was cute… but Nate was also _easy_. Not easy like _that_ (although Gossip Girl told the tale of his many girls _and_ ladies since Blair), but not as much work to figure out as every other Upper East Sider that she knew. Nate Archibald was exactly who he appeared to be. No pretense there.

"Yeah, some girls are unforgettable," he said, speaking to Molly, but looking at Jenny. "But it's all about what they're remembered for."

And he turned back to the counter and picked up a menu.

_Wow. So he hates me. Can't say I blame him. I spent a good part of the summer hating myself. Maybe I can stand right here until he orders and leaves…_

"Hey, doll, your food's up."

And Molly set Jenny's bags on the counter _right next to where Nate was sitting. Thanks a lot, 'doll.'_

"Great, be right there..." Maybe she could wait him out, she thought.

"Want me to put it in the warmer for ya? Don't want it getting cold."

Whenever she was faced a crisis, Jenny Humphrey did one of several things. None of those options were available to her just then. So she was going to have to reach back into her Queen toolkit, and pull out one of her Very Secret Weapons.

"Just putting a new song on."

As she turned back to the jukebox, she felt eyes on her. And that was exactly why she hated boys sometimes… he hadn't bothered to show up at the party where she'd been looking like a perfect 10, but somehow managed to find his way into _her _neighborhood in the middle of the night when she looked like a street urchin. _Figures. _

So he wanted to be indifferent, did he?

_Two can play at that game. I refuse to be uncomfortable. Nate Freaking Archibald isn't going to ruin Jimmy's for me. This is MY place… he's a guest here!_

She put on another oldie but goodie, using the last bit of her pocket change. Something from the _Dirty Dancing _soundtrack… a song that she'd listened to, closed her eyes, and wished, hoped, _dreamed…_

Whatever. Jenny had learned her lesson about dreaming impossible dreams instead of facing reality. _Leave the past in the past, J. _She shoved the napkin she'd been drawing on into her jeans pocket, held her head high, and was determined to pay for her food and get out of there.

_When your baby leaves you all alone  
And nobody calls you on the phone  
Ah, don't you feel like crying?  
Don't you feel like crying?  
Well here I am, my honey…  
Oh, come on_

_Cry to me._

Jenny's strategy was going to be to ignore him. Never mind that she'd never ignored Nate Archibald in her entire time knowing him. She was going to do it today. Because she hadn't done anything to him!

She lifted her head, stared straight ahead…

And her phone rang, breaking her concentration. _Why do I even have a brother? Couldn't my parents have waited until '93 to have kids? Ugh! His timing couldn't be worse!  
_

"What, Dan?" she snapped.

"Just checking on you. Everything all right?"

"Yes, I'm just getting our food, and I'll be home soon. Sorry it took a while."

"Don't worry about it, we've been scarfing down cheese curls while we set up the game board! Mom called and she says she got your message, and it's totally fine with her since you'll be with family and not the people at school."

"OK, thanks. See you…"

"Wait, almost forgot. Nate's on his way to hang out with us, too… I think something happened with him and his new girlfriend, and he's trying to get his mind off it. Said he was thinking about stopping by Jimmy's, so you might want to text him and get his order."

Sometimes, Jenny's big brother could be so annoying! "Um, I think he's ordered already…" she murmured into the phone.

"Oh, good. Thought you two might run into each other there. Well, you can share a cab with him…."

"Dan," she whispered, "he just got here and my food is ready. Besides, he's not a family member. Remember the terms of Blair's banishment?"

"After tonight, I don't think Blair Waldorf is in any position to banish _anybody. _Nate's a good guy and he's always looked after you. It'll give me a little peace of mind because it's so late. Give you two a chance to catch up, distract him from his heartache."

Why was Dan so dense? Ugh! Jenny loved her brother with all her heart, but he could be such a dork sometimes..._  
_

"Um, sure."

"By the way, Dad and Lily are over the moon about brunch tomorrow…"

"Dan, if I don't pay in a minute, Molly's gonna insist on warming things up, okay? And that will make me even later."

"Good point. Guess we'll see you soon."

"Bye."

She was now at the cash register, waiting on Molly. Three stools beyond sat Nate, who seemed totally engrossed in his phone. _Great, he's still ignoring me. _Well, it didn't make Jenny feel great, but at least she could handle it without too much thought. After all, there had been long stretches when she was at Constance when Nate hadn't given her the time of day, especially after the Snowflake Ball sophomore year. And Jenny hadn't wanted much to do with him, either.

_I'm so glad that he didn't like me, _she told herself. _Makes everything easier. And when I get to the loft, I'll feign sleepiness, and I'll crash… or maybe he'll decide to ditch since I'm still here and all… and tomorrow, I'll be back in Hudson with this all behind me._

"What are you waiting for there, doll?" said Molly, bustling up and down the row to serve her customers. "Your food's waiting." And she beckoned to where it was sitting, right next to Nate.

"Oh, I haven't paid yet," Jenny said, digging into her purse for her wallet, lifting out her keys and phone, and setting them on the counter. I'm ready now."

"No need. It's all taken care of."

Jenny frowned. "It's on the house?" Her family had been coming to Jimmy's for a long time, but she didn't think they were _that _generous!

"Nope, that young man says he's with you, and you're going to the same place. Paid for everything, and you're all set."

Her façade broke. She couldn't help it. Her eyes widened and her lips parted. But she wouldn't look at him.

"Oh."

Molly shook her head and chuckled to herself. "Have a good night, doll. Don't be a stranger, you hear?"

Jenny didn't want to look at him, but she now had no choice. And when she glanced back Nate's way, he was staring at her, arms folded.

"Ready?"

He wasn't smiling and his eyes were unreadable. Jenny remembered _this _Nate… the Nate from the Snowflake Ball. She hadn't seen him often, but she knew one thing.

Snowflake Ball Nate was an unsympathetic _ass. _And she wasn't fifteen anymore.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"You don't have a choice," he told her coldly. "We need to talk. I have a few things to say to you, and you're going to listen."

"What? Please! Friends talk, and you are _not _my friend. You made yourself very clear about your priorities in the spring, and I haven't seen or heard from you since then. I want nothing to do with you!"

"So why were you at the Empire earlier today? Gossip Girl said you were there."

_I hate this boy. So freaking much. He could drop right now and I'd just step over his corpse!_

"Don't flatter yourself, Archibald! I didn't come back to see you!"

She could tell he was furious. And she didn't care!

But she wasn't prepared for the awful thing he said next.

"I don't even know who you are anymore. Seriously, Jenny, did you really think you were going to sneak back here without Blair knowing, just to be with Chuck agai-"

He didn't even get to put the question mark at the end of his sentence, because Jenny answered his insult by slapping him. _Hard._

Molly was aghast. "…Doll?" Several other patrons were staring at the unfolding scene.

"You are an _asshole._ I don't want to see you or talk to you, ever again! I'm done!" she spat, as he grabbed his cheek.

Molly tried to interrupt again. "Everything all right?"

"No," said Jenny, in a very small voice. She was very much a girl of thunder and rain… she flared up, and then… but no, she was NOT going to cry in front of this horrible boy! He wasn't her knight and never was. What a silly fool she'd been!

She turned toward the door, and felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Jenny, wait. Look, I shouldn't have said that, I'm…"

Jenny jerked away from him as if he were poison.

"You're an _ass, _that's what you are,_" _she hissed. "A self-righteous, hypocritical _ass_ who's just like everyone else in your nasty little world." She raised her voice and said, "Mol, tell my brother I'm heading to the train station. He can get my things from you tomorrow and send them to my mom's."

"Sure thing. Be safe, honey!" called the waitress.

Without another glance backward, Jenny flew out the door.

_When you're all alone in your lonely room  
And there's nothing but the smell of her perfume  
Ah don't you feel like crying  
Don't you feel like crying?  
Ah don't you feel like crying?  
Come on, come on, cry to me._

**~to be continued~**

**A/N: **And so, it begins. The flap of a butterfly's wing in Brazil can create a tornado in Texas… or a typhoon in Thailand. One decision that Jenny makes… and suddenly, a new world.

This story came from a joke that I always tell my friend Nese to complain about GGW's poor decision making… "There are a thousand ways to NJ." So I thought I'd take an impossible moment for Nate and Jenny, and see if I could write a story that convincingly put them together. But while _Clair de Lune _is also the story of Nate's rise into politics, this is more of a Jenny-focused story. I want to think about how a broken Jenny can be fixed again… without waiting 5 years (P&C) or 10 years (CdL) for it to happen. And I want to know if Jenny's hankering for diner fare might have spared Chair and Derena some (not all) of their obstacles… or created new ones!

Rating's T for now, M later… I'm going to steam things up later on, although I won't say which ships, where, or how!

To answer your question before you ask in the reviews, Derena and Chair folks, _yes, _there will be more fanservicing of your ships than there was in CdL. The POVs will skip around, and won't just be limited to Nate and Jenny. Know that I am Team Endgame to the core! But I also don't want to ruin the perfection of the 4x07-4x09 Chair arc, although I could have been spared the breakup at the end, and Serena's dumbass Colin drama. We'll see how this goes. I'm _really_ into this story, and am already writing the second chapter. But I don't know the ending yet… just that it will be happy. Happy endings rock, man.

Also, the only reason I didn't call this fic _The Butterfly Effect _is because my lovelies would _kill _me for naming a Nate/Jenny fic that… butterflies belong to Chuck and Blair in the GG universe!

So the name of the fic comes from a Beatles song that Taylor Momsen covered (and did a fairly decent job with, if you ask me). The lyrics are _perfect _for this: watch?v=zVcGcBhCKEA

_All you need is love._

_Love is all you need._

Chapter 2 is coming very soon! Until then…

**XOXO, Dr. Holland**


	2. What A Fool Believes

**ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE**

**Summary:** A funny thing happened to Jenny on the way to the train station at the end of "Easy J"… instead of heading straight to Grand Central, she stops for a burger and fries and runs into someone unexpected… Nate, confused by Juliet's web of lies, worried about his parents, and wrestling with unresolved feelings for Serena. Another road to N/J. Goes AU after 4x06.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing in the Gossip Girl universe, not even (sadly) Chuck or Nate. Major props to Cecily von Ziegesar, the CW, the producers, actors, and crew, and everyone involved with bringing these amazing characters to life.

**Chapter 2 – What a Fool Believes**

_**Eric**_

Eric van der Woodsen sat up from where he'd slept on the sofa in the Humphrey loft and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Momentarily blinded by the brilliant sunshine, he blinked and rubbed the top of his head before surveying the scene.

A game-in-progress was splayed all over the worn Scrabble board, although Dan had taken his tiles back to his bedroom to prevent cheating. (Humphrey game nights were serious business indeed.) Bags from Jimmy's Diner were still perched on the counter, slightly crumpled up, but the cups had actually made it into the sink. Next to the bags, there was an empty bottle of Jack Daniels…

…which Nate had finished, all by himself. Frowning, Eric looked down at the floor… and saw the blue blooded Columbia sophomore, buried beneath the covers of a pallet consisting of old comforters that Dan laid out for him. He looked as if he'd passed out, face down, with only the top of his sandy hair, one well-muscled arm, and the slightest hint of his toned back visible.

Dan's bedroom door opened slowly. Curly dark hair peeked out of it.

"Hey, Eric," he murmured, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "You're up."

Eric sat up and stretched. "Yeah. Want to shower first?"

"Nah, we've got to clean up," was Dan's yawned reply. "Dad and Lily called and said they're coming here for brunch. Caterer'll be here in half an hour."

_Ah, that stretch felt great. _"How much did you tell them?"

"Enough. Dad wants to check on Jen before she goes back to Hudson." Dan headed into the kitchen, grabbing bags to throw away on his way in. "He's really worried about her, especially because of how she came in last night. I don't get it."

_Yeah, you wouldn't, _Eric thought. He wondered what had transpired between Jenny and Nate on the way from Jimmy's to the loft. When they arrived, Jenny had stormed into the old bedroom that had been Milo Sparks' nursery not too long before, slammed the door, and refused any and all of Eric's and Dan's attempts to draw her out. (They couldn't even get in through the garage door in between the two rooms; Jenny had messed with the hinge on her side, so that it was stuck.)

Nate didn't seem very interested in finding out what was wrong with her, though. Dan's questions of "what happened, man? Why is she so upset?" were answered with a dull shrug.

"Come on out, Jenny!" Dan had called out. "Whatever's wrong, it can be fixed. Come on, you were doing so well…"

"Just let her stay in there," Nate snapped at his friend. "At least this way, you know she's not going to get into any more trouble. With her history here, that's probably a good thing."

At Nate's words, Eric had looked sharply at him, but Dan cocked his head to one side, considering his friend questioningly. Then he nodded.

"Yeah, I guess. But she was so happy when she left Lily's this evening. I don't know what happened… she didn't say anything to you?"

Nate stared at Dan. Then he shrugged.

"And that is why you should be glad you don't have a little sister," laughed Dan. "Bad enough that we have girlfriends. Eric, you're lucky that you don't have to decipher the mysteries of the fairer sex. Guys are _much_ easier."

Eric was annoyed. Straight people always assumed the dumbest things about what it was like being gay. But he'd learned the difference between haters and those who just didn't know any better. Dan meant well.

"Sure, they're easy… unless you're trying to _date _them. It's not the gender that's an issue," he muttered under his breath, picking up his cell phone to send Jenny a text message.

**What's wrong?**

He didn't know if Jenny was even going to respond to him. Yet a few seconds later, his phone buzzed.

**You don't even want to know.**

Eric glanced at Dan and Nate, who were taking food out of the bags and talking. **Is it your brother or your crush?**

**I don't like him anymore. I HATE him.**

Chuckle. **So it IS Nate.**

"Who are you texting so intently over there, Eric?" Dan had asked. "Seeing a new guy or something?"

"Maybe," Eric replied, then glanced down at what Jenny sent in reply. **He has no right to judge me.**

**For?**

**The thing. With Chuck.**

**Yeah. Not one of your better ideas, J.**

**So you've told me. All summer. But I hate their damn double standard. I get banished and nothing happens to Chuck.**

**He lost Blair.**

**And how long is that gonna last? Not buying it.**

**I do. Anyway. Love just doesn't go away. **

**Talking about Jonathan? **

**No. Talking about you.**

She didn't respond after that last text. It was just as well, Eric thought. Jenny was great sometimes, but when she was being outrageous, he'd always found it better to wait out her moods. He'd eaten, started the Scrabble game. But he noticed that most of the talk was between him and Dan; Nate didn't say much, just played half-heartedly and drank silently.

Dan did notice after a while, and had said something. "You know, you're going to have to replace that… normally, I wouldn't care, but my Dad left it here the last time he and Lily were going through something."

Nate had pushed the empty bottle away from his tiles. "Got it. Well, I'm out. See you later."

But Dan shook his head. "Might as well sleep it off. You can get out of here first thing in the morning."

At first, Nate had seemed as if he was going to protest. But then Dan brought a few blankets, and Nate muttered something about "closing my eyes for a couple of hours, man." Soon, he was out like a light.

Hours later, Eric shook himself out of his reminiscing about the strange events of the night before. Dan was still in the shower. But now, Eric saw that Nate had sat straight up from his pallet, clamping a hand to his head.

He'd known him forever, but Eric couldn't help but admire the perfection of Nate's bare torso, and his well-toned arms. Although he preferred boys with more brains than brawn, Eric reflected, Nate had been one of the reasons that a young Eric had realized that he preferred boys to girls. _Too bad he's straight. It's like Asher once said about him long ago. What a waste. As if some girl could fully appreciate all of that._

"Hey," said Eric. "How are you feeling?"

"As if my brains turned to cotton candy overnight, dude," Nate groaned. "What time is it?"

"About nine." Eric watched Nate rub his eyes, then glance up at the closed bathroom door. "Dan's in there, but you've got next if you want it."

"Nah, I'll just wait till I'm back at the Empire." Nate glanced almost too quickly at the closed bedroom door. Eric wasn't sure if he even knew that he'd done it. "Might as well get out of here."

Now, Eric knew he wasn't going to get any answers out of his BFF/stepsister/sometimes-frenemy. But he _was _going to get them from somewhere. Climbing off the sofa, he went to the pallet and crouched down on the floor next to Nate (who was still rubbing his eyes) so that his voice wouldn't carry.

"So what's wrong with Jenny?"

At first, Nate had no reaction to Eric's statement, as if he didn't hear the question. He continued rubbing his face, scratched the shadow of his unshaven jaw a little. Eric thought that he was going to be as little help as Jenny herself had been in her texts from the night before. Eric was about to scramble to his feet and make his way to the kitchen when…

"Did you know about her… and… _Chuck?"_

Eric almost didn't hear what Nate had said because it came out in a nearly inaudible murmur. But he made it out. Sighing, he shook his head.

"Come on, man. That's old news. I'm sure you knew about it last spring. Why else would Chuck leave like that?"

Nate frowned, stretching. "I knew something crazy happened there but didn't know what until yesterday. It's not as if Blair or Chuck or even Dan were exactly volunteering any details."

"Or maybe you didn't want to know," Eric observed. "It's definitely something I wanted to un-hear at the time."

Nate shrugged casually. "Wouldn't have cared. I had other things on my mind last spring. It's just messed up what they did to Blair, that's all."

"What _Chuck _did to Blair," Eric corrected. "He was the one in love with her."

"Yeah, well, Jenny's no better if she went sleeping around with some guy who tried to force himself on her! I mean, how desperate can you get? She's definitely not the girl I thought she was."

Eric was shaking his head. "Nate, what are you talking about? Are you seriously slut-shaming the girl for one bad decision? Look at everything she lost!"

"You don't get it. It's almost as if Jenny wanted _anyone _to sleep with her… first Damien, then me, then…"

"Well, I'm certainly glad I didn't sleep with _you, _because it seems as if you can't keep your mouth shut."

Jenny had come out of her room, and unbeknownst to the two boys, had heard _everything. _Eric looked up at his best friend. She was pulled together, wearing her beret, a distressed black leather jacket with camisole, and a short mini with tall boots. Dark sunglasses obscured her eyes. She didn't even seem upset over what she was hearing… simply resigned.

Nate didn't even look at her. "I was just leaving."

"Who cares," was Jenny's reply. "It's because of you that my last night at home _with my family_ was ruined. I missed the last train and couldn't get anything else until this morning, so I had to come back here."

It was almost as if he couldn't withstand her glare, Eric thought as Nate stood up, still avoiding Jenny's eyes.

"I'll go." His words came out as a murmur. "I'll go. It was a mistake to stay here last night…"

"Whatever. Stay or leave, I couldn't care less. But I'll thank you for staying out of my business, Nate Archibald. And stop running me down in front of my _best friend_, because I don't give a _fuck _about what you think of me. Whatever else you can say about Chuck Bass, at least he has more class than that."

And then she turned to Eric.

"I can't believe you were listening to his shit. Some 'best friend' you are."

Without sparing either of them a second glance, she stalked into the kitchen.

_**Serena**_

"_There _you are," said Blair Waldorf, glancing up from her laptop. "I thought you'd _never _get here."

Serena van der Woodsen folded her arms and regarded her best friend forever. Blair was still in her pale mauve silk pajamas, but the telltale signs of two half-eaten macarons on a silver tray beside her brand-new MacBook Pro _and _the latest issues of _Vogue _and _Vanity Fair _showed that the Queen Bee had begun her day right on time.

Blair was looking past Serena. "Is Nate downstairs?"

Frown. "Why would he be here?"

"Because you texted that the two of you would meet me for lunch. I assume it has something to do with my upcoming, extremely important _twentieth _birthday. Although why Nate had to be involved, I don't quite understand… he's _terrible _at giving decent gifts. Why the sudden change of plans?"

Serena flopped down onto the silk duvet atop the bed in Blair's boudoir. "Because I've already seen Nate this morning. He's hungover like _crazy. _I told him to go home and sleep it off, and we'll all meet here later tonight. Apparently there's something that you need to see."

Blair frowned, leaning forward. "Where did you even see Nate? And how is it that _Serena van der Woodsen _was up before me on a _Sunday_ morning? Have you even made it to bed yet?"

"I have!" Serena beamed. "Woke up, fresh as a daisy, left _you_ sleeping, headed up to campus for an… early morning coffee meeting about class. Then I went over to my mom's. She and Rufus invited me to have brunch with them in Brooklyn, and I obliged. Dan and Eric were already at the loft, and… Jenny was just leaving town."

"_Just _leaving? I thought we got rid of that broken-down, bleached-blonde Barbie yesterday!"

"Nope, apparently she was at the loft last night… and before you say anything, Blair, Brooklyn is _not _your island."

"It's not the _letter _of the law, Serena, it's the _spirit _of it! Especially after what that tramp pulled yesterday at the Boom Boom Room, I can't believe you're defending her!"

Serena sighed. "Come on, Blair. How about being the bigger person here? Your war with Chuck now has casualties. Jenny already is graduating from some mediocre upstate school instead of with all her Constance friends…"

"Jenny Humphrey should have thought about that before she slept with my boyfriend!"

"Technically, he wasn't your boyfriend at the time. You'd broken up with Chuck and _refused _to get back together…"

"And of course, that breakup was _my _fault! Only Serena van der Woodsen would think that having a pimp for a boyfriend is A-OK!"

Serena ignored the insult, although it stung. (She felt enough guilt over the Colin situation.) "Blair, Chuck didn't know you went to the Empire State Building until after it happened! And everyone knows Jenny didn't go to the Empire looking for him…"

"_Why are you defending that certified boyfriend stealer? _Remember, she tried to steal _your _boyfriend, too!"

Serena tamped down the confused feelings of guilt she had when it came to Nate. It was true that she'd been furious at Jenny for making a play for Nate when they were in a relationship… the best relationship Serena had been in since… well, _Dan_. Of course, everyone on the entire Upper East Side knew the Brooklyn girl had been panting after the Golden Boy of the Upper East Side for ages, but Serena had no idea how far Jenny would go in trying to take Nate away from her.

Never mind that Serena wasn't really sure how she felt about Nate. Yes, she loved him. Very much. Deep down, she knew that she would always keep a special place in her heart for Nate Archibald. To Serena, Nate represented everything she wanted most… stability, kindness, and romance… but was too afraid to reach out and grab.

Dating Nate had been much like Serena had thought it would be. He offered her security, passion, and most importantly, stability… he'd been _totally_ faithful to her… the sex had been great, too. Frequent, plentiful, and a lot of fun. All the things that having sex with your best friend should be, she reflected.

But in the end, they hadn't lasted. All that was left in the place of their relationship was a gigantic question mark. Although Nate was with Juliet, and she _really _(really, really!) wanted to be with Colin, her childhood friend's love had left a fingerprint on Serena's heart… a fingerprint she just couldn't erase by snapping her fingers.

As for the gigantic void that a certain stepbrother had left… well… sunshiny Serena _really _didn't like dwelling on things she couldn't change. And there was really nothing she could do about the ashes that had been her relationship with Dan Humphrey at this late date, could she?

Back in the real world, Blair was already flipping through the latest Gossip Girl posts, her doe eyes narrowing dangerously. Serena decided to appeal to her sense of reason.

"Blair, we've all done some messed-up things. Why can't you just let bygones be bygones?"

"Because I _hate_ Jenny Humphrey. She is the worst girl on the Upper East Side, and I am _glad _that her name will not _stain _the illustrious lists of Constance alumnae! She deserves to be miserable. People have to see that there are _consequences _for defying me. Jenny needs to pay, and keep paying, or else…"

Serena shook her head at Blair's tirade. "Or else what?"

She'd known Blair forever, long enough to know the answer to that question before she even asked it…

"Since when are you on the Bride of Frankenstein's side, Serena? If I say she's banished, she's banished!"

_Off with her head. _Of course, Blair wouldn't say what she was _really _thinking, would never actually voice any of the insecurities that Chuck's betrayals had surfaced for her. And Serena _knew_ that she'd never be forgiven if she held a mirror up to Blair. Blair would never admit what she was really feeling. It was a waste of time to even try.

"Fine," shrugged Serena. "She's probably on the train by now, anyway. Since we're not going to Daniel for that lunchtime summit, after all, how about a walk and a couple of bone-dry capps from Dean & DeLuca? We'll take the long way… and Dorota can come with us. Just in case you wanted to feed the ducks."

Blair's entire face changed. She seemed to relax. A half smile curved her beautiful rosebud lips.

"Yes, Serena. Now that the Humphrey-shaped fog has lifted from my island, a bit of brisk autumn air _would_ lift my spirits. Being Queen is hard work. Hard, _thankless _work."

Serena patted her shoulder, offering her a smile. "There's my B! Go freshen up. The park awaits."

She watched Blair pull her purple robe more tightly around her petite figure, jump off the bed. As she walked to their shared bathroom, she glanced over her shoulder to smile.

"Thanks, S!"

"Don't mention it."

No sooner had the bathroom door shut than Serena's phone buzzed. It was Dan. In spite of herself, a smile spread across her face. No matter whether they were dating, friends, or odd stepsiblings thanks to their parents' issues, she still got a small thrill that she couldn't quite understand whenever she saw his name flash on her phone.

"Hi, Dan."

"Hey, Serena. Listen, where are you? I need a favor…"

Serena's smile lit up her entire face.

"Anything."

_**Chuck**_

For once, Chuck Bass wasn't having a liquid breakfast, or blending his famous hangover cures, or deciding how long he would allow one of his random dalliances to linger in his king sized bed before calling housekeeping to start her walk of shame.

No. Chuck was reading the _Wall Street Journal, _was drinking nothing stronger than _espresso _with his toast, bacon, and eggs, and had even opened a window to allow a bit of the brisk October breeze waft in from the outside. After going to see Blair, he'd returned to the Empire alone, had a modest nightcap, and sank into the first velvety, dreamless sleep he'd enjoyed since Eva left.

He was pleased that his war with Blair had ended. Perhaps neither could be declared the real victor, but the détente they'd arrived at the night before satisfied him like nothing else had before the unfortunate... _incident _with Jack Bass the spring before. Chuck still wasn't happy that Blair had gone scorched earth on him, especially after she'd wanted nothing to do with him, but he appreciated no longer destroying the woman he still…

The elevator doors to the penthouse suite opened. In walked Nate, looking as if he hadn't slept a wink in several days.

"Nathaniel," called out Chuck. "I thought you'd be with Juliet."

Nate walked in as the doors shut behind him. "Nope."

"Then you're just in time for breakfast."

"Nope," Nate repeated, walking to his bedroom and slamming the door behind him.

Chuck shrugged and turned back to the _Wall Street Journal. _It wasn't often that Nate was in a strange mood, but when it happened, Chuck generally just gave him his space. Besides, he had _actual _troubles to occupy his time and energy… Nate's problems were anthills compared to his mountains.

He didn't quite get to the stocks before his newspaper was snatched away. He looked up to see his best friend, arms folded, quietly fuming for some reason that Chuck didn't _begin _to want to understand.

"What is it? Did my latest floozy use up your favorite shampoo or something?"

Nate didn't say anything.

"I'll ring housekeeping and tell them to bring more… what is it?"

Still nothing.

Chuck picked up his cup of coffee and leaned back in his chair, casually. "I got your text about the Captain. How is he?"

"Recovering."

So he was hung over. Chuck could tell from the way he said it. Now, he hadn't taken that Juliet Sharpe girl as a party animal… perhaps he had been all wrong about her.

"Has Anne visited yet?"

"Since when do you care about my life, Chuck?"

Chuck set the coffee cup down.

"What's this about, Nathaniel?"

Silence. Chuck decided that if it was a staredown that Nate wanted, it was a staredown that Nate was going to get. (Of course, Nate didn't last two full minutes.)

"That Gossip Girl blast yesterday."

"Which one? If I recall correctly, there were a few."

"The one about the real reason Jenny left."

Chuck scoffed. "Now, there's a name I haven't heard from you in a long time, Nathaniel. Thought Jenny Humphrey was dead to you after she killed your relationship with Serena."

Nate's stare turned into a full-on _glare. _But Chuck knew that Nate didn't realize that his face had changed at all. His best friend was so clueless that it was either exasperating or endearing. (Chuck usually felt a mixture of both.)

"Why would you even…"

"Don't start, Nathaniel. As if _you've _never had sad, drunken self-pity sex. I seem to recall that you spent the entire summer doing the same, and would still be trying to drown your sorrows in the pleasures of the flesh if you hadn't met Juliet Sharpe."

"It wasn't like that for her, Chuck! She wasn't one of your black book girls! It was… she was… she'd never…"

"Your sudden concern about a girl you rejected _repeatedly _is touching, Nathaniel, but misguided. I didn't rape her. We were both drunk and high…"

"_High?"_

"I think I did a couple of lines. Not sure whether she indulged. Even you must realize that I don't exactly _remember _much about that night."

"Chuck, that's not good enough!"

"Of course it isn't, which is why I apologized, Inspector Javert…"

"Apologizing won't take away what you took from her!"

"Nor will it bring back what _apparently _I took from you."

Nate's enraged face turned (quite predictably, Chuck thought) into a familiar, wide-eyed confusion.

"This isn't about me. This is about Jenny…"

"Is it, Nathaniel? Because I don't understand the delayed reaction. Look, this happened _months _ago, a _lifetime _ago… a near-fatal shooting, a faked identity, a recovered Harry Winston ring, and a French girlfriend ago. Now, I realized that your brain processes things slowly, but six months is a long time even for you."

Nate didn't say anything. He just turned away, staring out the windows at the autumn midday sky. Chuck stood up and walked over to where Nate was standing.

"Surely you knew that Jenny and I slept together…"

"How the hell should I have known that, Chuck? I had my own stuff going on!"

"_Nathaniel. _Look, I realize that your parents are the King and Queen of Denial, but it is impossible for even you to be that oblivious. You're not the same kid who pretended to be in a relationship with Blair all those years. _You knew."_

His best friend closed his magnificent blue eyes. "Yeah, I knew. Deep down, I knew."

"Then what's this really all about?"

Nate sighed. "Look, I thought she'd slept with Damien, okay? That's what Serena told me. After that, I saw her in a different light. Especially because she suddenly started chasing me! She never really was like that before she dated him. We were always friends…"

Chuck turned away from Nate, annoyed. _Surely he can't be that stupid. Or that clueless._

"So _that's _what this tirade is all about. What you're angry about isn't the fact that I slept with your former 'friend.' What galls you is that I had the audacity to be her fi-"

Before he knew it, Nate had shoved him into the nearest wall, hard. He grabbed the lapels of his robe…

"Go on," Chuck drawled. "Hit me. You did when Jenny told you about Blair and me, didn't you? The only difference between now and then is that Blair was your _girlfriend."_

Nate hesitated. His enraged face calmed into sad resignation.

"By the way, where _is _your girlfriend? Surely Juliet wouldn't be thrilled to know that you rolled out of her bed and came back home to confront me about a girl you never cared much about, would she?"

"Goes to show what you know. I dumped Juliet yesterday. She's been lying to me… I am so fucking _sick _of people _lying to me!" _

And he punctuated his statement by toppling over the room service cart. Sending dishes and forks and glasses _everywhere._

Chuck ignored this tirade. After all, he'd certainly trashed the place before himself… and that was what housekeepers were for. Instead, he focused on something else.

"So if you dumped Juliet yesterday, where were you last night?" Cocking his head to one side, he read Nate like an open book. "You saw Jenny while she was here, didn't you?"

Nate grabbed a towel to wrap around a cut on his knuckles. But Chuck saw his slight nod.

"Figures. I hope you didn't think I ever bought that whole 'she's my friend' schtick of yours."

"Well, she is!"

"Come on, Nathaniel. The only specimens of the male gender who are 'just friends' with girls like Jenny Humphrey are the Eric van der Woodsens of the world…"

"Actually, we're not even friends anymore. We ran into each other and I… may have said some stuff to her that she didn't like. She got mad at me and tried to pull one of her disappearing acts, but I made her go home. Ended up sleeping at the Humphrey loft."

"Well, well, well! I'm impressed, Nathaniel. You finally made that girl's 'Prince Charming' dreams come true… you gave her the happily ever after she's always craved, then came to slay the big bad wolf…"

"I slept on the floor. She slept in her room. Chuck, I'm not interested in Jenny like that! I never have been! It was always Serena for me and you know that!"

Chuck shook his head. "And exactly _why _did you stop living with the Humphreys all those years ago?"

Nate glared at Chuck one final time.

"Man, _fuck _off."

He disappeared out of sight, and Chuck heard his bedroom door slam. Chuckling to himself, he snapped a picture of the overturned service tray with his phone. Then, he sent it along with a cryptic text to a recently-used 718 number.

**When you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are! -CB**

A few seconds later, his phone buzzed, signaling a terse response:

**Chuck, what the hell is that supposed to be?**

**Your prince came to slay your dragon right in his lair. Thought you should know.**

No response. Chuck figured the Brooklyn girl had turned off her phone, or deleted his message without reading it… then his phone buzzed.

**NEVER text me again.**

Smirking over the latest bit of mischief he was able to spark, the Bass heir sauntered to his bedroom to get ready for the day. After all, if he wasn't happy, why should anyone else be? Although his war with Blair was technically at a ceasefire, Chuck knew that even the slightest hint of Jenny finally sinking her claws into Nate would get under his little brunette spitfire's skin… and although he would never admit it aloud after she said she didn't love him any more, Chuck _dearly _loved getting under Blair's skin.

Thinking of Blair made him long to see her. It had only been a little over twelve hours, but he wondered where she was. A quick search showed that according to Gossip Girl, she'd had just been spotted strolling through the park with Serena. Their favorite bone-dry capps were conspicuously missing from their hands. Judging from the empty basket Dorota carried a few steps behind them and the timing of the blast…

…Chuck had less than thirty minutes for a _convenient_ run-in with Blair at Dean & DeLuca.

Heading into the shower, Chuck Bass felt better than he had since long before his "mother" appeared earlier in the year. After all, he had his own life to attend to, didn't he?

Satisfied that he'd done his one good deed for the day, he put all thoughts of Nathaniel, Jenny Humphrey, and that entire situation out of his mind.

_**Dan**_

It was a good idea, one that might have occurred to Dan Humphrey earlier if he'd been thinking clearly. But his crazy summer had begun with Jenny's departure and Georgina's revelation that he was a dad. Being a great son hadn't been tops on his list of priorities. But this idea for Rufus and Lily's anniversary? Sheer genius.

He was actually on the phone with his mother Alison for one of their obligatory calls when it came to him. Dan's relationship with his mother had never been the same since she chose to leave his father (her husband!) over some dorky-looking Hudson artist guy. Jenny had forgiven their mom, and they were closer than ever. Moving back to Hudson had been great for her, although he keenly missed his baby sister. But Dan? He'd been hurt by Alison's actions.

Before their parents' split, Dan had been extremely close to his mother. After all, Rufus spent most of Dan's childhood on the road, touring with Lincoln Hawk, trying desperately not to be a one-hit wonder. Alison had always been there for Dan, teaching him how to read before preschool, buying him his first notebooks, listening to his stories with rapt attention.

He'd always believed he had the best mother in the world. How naïve he'd been back then! Dan was annoyed with both of his parents for being so _fickle. How could Mom marry Dad if she always knew Dad was really in love with Lily? Why didn't Dad go to Hudson anytime that fall? Why did it take Jenny bringing Mom back for them to even have a conversation? Why did they spend almost eighteen years together and have two kids if they were just going to split up?_

Dan never voiced his deepest source of frustration over his parents' situation, not even to himself. But he thought about it.

_Maybe if my parents had never divorced, Lily would be on husband number seven or eight, and Serena and I would still be together… instead of her being my _stepsister.

Nevertheless, for all Dan's judginess? He was an incredibly practical guy when it came down to brass tacks. His mother was happy with her boyfriend Alex, and Rufus and Lily were married and in love. After dealing with the William van der Woodsen mess earlier in the year, Rufus and Lily were stronger than ever. So no matter what Dan thought about it, it was time for their children to throw them a first year anniversary party to remember... a party that Jenny wouldn't be able to attend.

At first, Dan was enraged over the fact that _Blair Waldorf _of all people had banished Jenny from New York City. Yes, it was better for Jen to be upstate. But she'd told Dan that she'd pulled straight A's first quarter without studying much at all. The Constance and St. Jude's curriculum was far more advanced than anything most regular public schools had to offer (which was why Rufus Humphrey had wanted admission for his children in the first place). Dan thought it was horrible that his sister had to miss her senior year at one of the best schools in the country because of that... that package of girly evil!

He was all set to plot payback and take down the self-styled Queen of the Upper East Side and her on-again, off-again paramour who wore _far _too much purple when his mother called. These days, the only times that Dan and Allison spoke on the phone was when Allison was waiting in the station at Hudson to meet Jenny.

"Hey, Dan! How are things, honey?"

"Fine," he said flatly. "How's Hudson?"

"The same… but I miss you. When are you coming for a visit again?"

"Christmas."

"Oh, Dan. That's too long…"

"Mom, I'm a college sophomore. I'm trying to make a name for myself as a writer, and I have to do it without Tisch, let's not forget. The last thing I need is one of your guilt trips."

A loud, drawn-out sigh. "Please, Dan. I don't want to fight. I was just asking."

"Gotcha."

Silence on both ends.

"So how was Jenny's visit?"

"Fine. It was great to see her."

Silence again.

"So…?"

"So _what, _Mom? Just ask." Sometimes, really, his mother could be too much... even if he had many ways that were just like hers. It was funny. Jenny looked exactly like Alison but had inherited Rufus' social charm and sense of rebellion, Dan reflected; he looked more like Rufus, but had his mother's awkwardness, long memories... and tendency to hold grudges.

"Did Jenny get into Parsons? She didn't really want to talk yesterday. Seemed upset about something."

Now it was Dan's turn to sigh, loud and long. "Sorry, Mom." The apology was for more than just Jenny's situation. He felt guilty about _everything_. If it wasn't for the decisions he'd made, Jenny might never have been seduced (literally, figuratively, and in every other way) by the Upper East Side.

"Oh." Dan could hear the disappointment in her voice. "Well, maybe next weekend, we'll head to the orchard. Alex and I were there this weekend, and it was great. It'll do Jen good to be out in the fresh air… she doesn't really have any friends up here yet, so she spends the weekends in her room, sketching and sewing. I've been trying to get her down there for a while, so I'm glad she had a good time."

_So now you're just making stuff up, Mom. Great, I'll play along._

"Yeah. So tell me more about this orchard…"

As Alison filled Dan in, an idea took shape in his mind. Maybe Jenny _shouldn't _come back to New York City for Rufus and Lily's anniversary… instead, perhaps they could have Rufus and Lily's anniversary party at the orchard! Dan had sudden visions of cider and hayrides and bonfires. They'd make sure Lily had her creature comforts, and they'd be with their children. Dan and Jenny. Serena and Eric. It would be Blair's birthday weekend too (he'd sent the Gossip Girl blast out just before Jenny arrived that Saturday morning), so hopefully, she and Chuck would be too caught up in whatever their latest game was to interfere.

Dan had a sudden vision of Serena, firelight illuminating her golden hair, the stars shining brightly in a dark sky free from light pollution… the same way it had that night on the beach in the Hamptons… before they...

He shook himself out of it, feeling a little dirty.

"Hey, Mom? Would it be all right if me and Jenny came up with Serena and Eric in a couple of weekends?"

"Sure, but why then? You don't want to come up for Thanksgiving?"

"I may be…" Dan waited until the noise from the approaching train died down. "I may be out of town over Thanksgiving… remember, it's Grandma Humphrey's year."

"That's right. Well, I don't mind. There's plenty of room in the house, as long as you and Jenny don't mind sharing your rooms. Have she and Serena buried the hatchet yet?"

Dan didn't know for sure, but hazarded a guess. "Yeah, they're fine. Serena was really sweet to her at brunch, and she and Jen went off to themselves to have a chat. I think they'll be fine, Mom."

"Then I'll start shopping and get a few more pillows…. Hi, honey!" she called. Dan knew that his sister had made it, and the next voice on the other end confirmed it.

"Careful, Mom, that one's got my sewing machine in it… hey, Dan. Thanks for everything."

"Don't mention it at all, Jen. Miss you already."

"Miss you more…"

The departure of the train drowned out Dan's attempt at a response. When it died down, Jenny was saying:

"Hey, can you do me a big favor? Mom's gone to bring the car around, so I can talk."

"Go ahead, shoot."

"Can you disable my 'spotted' feed on Gossip Girl? I'm getting a new phone and I'd rather… be off the grid. Also, block any automatic posts with my name – _any _of my names – from going on the site."

Dan frowned. "You're not showing up that much anyway. Except for the post you did the other day, there's nothing."

"All the same, Dan. _Please."_

Now it was Dan's turn to lower his voice. "I don't want to pry, but… what exactly did you and Nate talk about when you ran into each other? Did he upset you? You seemed upset…"

Jenny groaned. "Dan, I don't care about Nate anymore, so there's _no way he could have upset me! _You're giving him way too much credit. _Please._"

"I don't know. He's a good guy, but you've always acted a little nuts around him, if you know what I mean."

"No, I _don't _know what you mean. Just disable my feed and stop messing around."

"Jen."

"_Good-bye, _Dan."

Almost before Dan could react, his mother was back on the phone. "Hi honey! So I've got your sister now, and…"

"See you in a couple of weeks, Mom."

He hung up. What was going on? He hadn't really cared much about Nate bringing Jenny home from Jimmy's Diner. After senior year, he'd never shown any interest in Jenny again. Dan believed firmly that Nate only saw Jenny as a younger sister, which in his opinion, was the appropriate way for a man who was nearly 20 to behave around a 17 year old girl.

Something was up. Dan intended to find out what…. but, first things first. He pressed the 1 on his speed dial…

"Hi, Dan."

"Hey, Serena. Listen, where are you? I need a favor…"

"Anything."

And for the first time that morning, Dan exhaled.

**~to be continued~**

**A/N: **So we see that Jenny's decision to stay in New York overnight already has a few ripple effects. No, the skies didn't open and heal the breach between Chuck and Blair before the NJBC summit at Daniel (which will still happen)… but Chuck's planning to stage a little run-in. Jenny is still extremely angry with Nate for judging her, and he still thinks she's a whore and a half. Chuck and Eric suspect that something's up, but don't really know what.

Blair is in full Blair mode… but decides to go feed the ducks instead of brooding. Dan is at his most Dan-ish… but decides that if his sister can't come to New York, instead of getting revenge, he'll make it so that his family can be together on a special day.

Get an umbrella, folks! I can already feel the changes in the air!

About the chapter title: my folks were huge fans of Michael McDonald and the Doobie Brothers… and back in the ancient, long-ago days of the early 80s when I was a toddler and preschooler (yes, I am super old!), there was this song that I remember sounding fun and catchy. A couple of years ago, it was used for some commercial and I remembered it all over again.

_**But what a fool believes he sees **_  
_**No wise man has the power to reason away **_  
_**What seems to be **_  
_**Is always better than nothing **_  
_**And nothing at all keeps sending him**_  
_** Somewhere back in her long ago **_  
_**Where he can still believe there's a place in her life **_  
_**Someday, somewhere, she will return...**_

I just knew I had to use that one for this chapter! I'll leave it up to you to tell me who you think is being foolish… and who is wise.

Finally I hope you used your reader's imagination with all the texting in this chapter! As a 80s kid and 90s teen, I cannot even with most netspeak…. it's my main complaint with _50 Shades_, because it was like meeting a guy who's gorgeous until he opens his mouth_. _Even though sometimes I use it in real life, as a reader, it always takes me out of the story. So just know that I've translated the characters' texts out of the usual format for you. (You're welcome.)

Next time, Chair just might have coffee for the first time since 3x17, the van der Humphreys will probably go apple picking… and there may be an unexpected upstate sleepover. The POVs will likely begin with Blair, then alternate between Nate and Jenny.

Special thanks are due to the readers of Chapter 1: **AudreyLove, BubblesofColours, browneyedgrl061, Chairytalelove9, Elizabeth, Krissie, Moozanna, Holly, yahira, ComixFan1224, MissCMorland, elizabeth-mary-stark, Donna L. Crawford, nlizzette7, Where's Waldorf? **and **hsds**, my sista from another mista in the TV fandom multiverse. With my work schedule and other obligations, not sure when I'll be able to update and finish _Clair de Lune, _get to the birthday fics that I owe people, or participate in this year's Limoversary_. _Just know that I'm trying my very best.

One more thing: I've changed my Twitter and Tumblr handles. On Twitter, I'm now ** ProFangirlLiz**. My Tumblr is now **fangirlconfessional**. I did this because I've gone from being solely a Gossip Girl stan to a multifandom citizen again. But for now, my fic writing is still solely focused on GG. I still love Chair and Derena, and I still enjoy writing what could have been for Nate and Jenny.

Until next time…

**XOXO, Dr. Holland**


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